CHAPTER XVII
REALIZATIONS AND MORE ANCIENT CONVERSATIONS
“They’re dangerous, Golem,” I fume, pacing around the bed in my room. Golem nods and stands beside the balcony opening as the curtains drift slightly inwards with the breeze. Stormfall is flying around somewhere outside, leaving the room the moment he saw me back and safe from court.
“You weren’t there when the last Kingdoms Council was called over two hundred years ago, right?”
He shakes his head, solemn.
“But you know what was discussed…”
Yes.
“Princess Clair didn’t give details, just noted that Prince McQuoid’s father called the Council. He cited atrocious rumors of things they were doing to humans.”
Another quiet nod.
“If King Zander wasn’t present at the Council, does that mean his father was, Keane’s grandfather?”
Yes.
“Do you think the King would share whatever information came from it?”
Golem pauses before nodding.
“Another question to add to the ever-extending list,” I sigh.
I move into my bathing room and walk past the steaming tub, heading straight for the small basin as I pour some cool water over my hands and splash it across my face.
After my small chat with the Prince, I avoided him and his moving hair at every turn.
The snake, Rivian, no longer looked like a braid whenever I glanced at it, but instead remained on his shoulder as the magical beast it was and looked over the crowd.
It followed me whenever it could, and no one, not a single person in that room, seemed to notice the magical hair except me and Edam.
It was as if the people around the Leviathans were completely oblivious to what was next to them, and looking back on it, I truly think they were.
Too many times I caught Edam watching me as I watched the snake, his grin growing wider when I caught someone standing too close to Isham, watching as Rivian’s black eyes would narrow on them as if wanting permission to attack.
I buried myself deep within my traveling crew for the rest of the night, not leaving their sides.
Sutton and Tripler showed up towards the end and made a plan to find accommodations in the Palisades, while Keane and his brothers continued their rounds as custom dictated.
They spent most of their time with their parents and the various Lords and Ladies of the Court of Knowledge, and as usual, I watched Keane engage with the many eligible Ladies of our court, his lips smiling when needed and mimicking their open gestures.
But for the first time since Red Falls, I didn’t care.
My thoughts were too scattered to pay attention to Keane’s smiles not directed at me. All I could think about was sitting down with King Zander, wanting nothing more than to get the answers we rushed to Bardot for.
I sigh and grip the basin tightly, leaning over it in thought.
There is no way in all the Ancients that I am ever walking into the Kingdom of Livyatan. Not with Isham, not with any man, not even with the most powerful Ancient Hirovale at my side.
But Isham’s sureness keeps creeping up on me, his words said with such confidence that I know he truly believes them to be true. What makes him so sure that I’ll have to travel to his Kingdom? And how does he know more than he obviously lets off?
The creek of the bedroom door in my small reading room pulls me from my thoughts.
I instinctively reach for my bicep and find it empty, my body still wrapped in the dress from tonight.
I quietly move into my bedroom and watch as Golem extinguishes the lanterns of moonslight.
Everything goes dark in an instant as I move silently towards my boots.
“It’s me,” Keane says quietly from the entry.
I exhale with a wild beat of my heart, hearing the door close behind him.
I move to the end of my bed and stare through the arch in my room, spotting Keane’s fingers flicking back down to his side after the space fills with moonslight again.
His intense brown eyes find mine, his full red lips parting on their own subtle exhale as he gives me a hard look.
I stand tall in my room and stare back at him, watching as he takes a commanding step forward.
“I will make you mine, Alexis.”
I take a deep breath at his overwhelming presence.
He’s still in his dark Warrior attire from the night, his broad shoulders angled directly at me and looking so strong in my quaint little room.
I can see how bad he wants me right now, and I shiver at that look behind his eyes.
He’s come here unannounced to take what is his, and I have no qualms when I nod in agreement.
“You will,” I reply quietly.
We will meet under the Shadow Oak soon. Of that I am certain.
“This goes much farther than the Shadow Oak, Alexis,” Keane takes another commanding step forward, his eyes never leaving mine.
I think I know that, too, but I push the thought to the back of my mind where it belongs for now.
“Tonight…” he watches me as his eyes fill with small wonder, “you were…”
He shakes his head.
“Brash?” I offer, “unexpected? Angry?”
“Strong,” he smirks, “and definitely unexpected.”
He gives me a mischievous grin. “Warrior.”
Yes! I scream.
“You know it…” his hand comes up to run through his hair.
I stare at that hand in heavy desire, needing it on my body. Now.
“You’re ready to say it.”
Yes!
“I am,” I nod, reaching for the back of my dress.
“Leave it,” he commands, stopping his slow walk to stand in front of me.
His eyes finally leave mine, grazing down my proud shoulders to the curve of my breasts.
His gaze lingers there for a moment before it travels down my waist, landing on the slit that rests dauntingly against my hip.
My body ignites with every rake of his eyes, my heart pounding and screaming for him to take me.
“I will never forget this night, Alexis,” he states, brown eyes meeting mine again, “for as long as I live. The sight of you commanding the court, engaging the court. You were a woman who belonged. Not just a woman of Knowledge but a woman of the Kingdom of Disce…”
I exhale sharply, “Keane.”
“You spoke to the Prince of Livyatan without fear,” he smirks, taking a final step so that his chest brushes against mine, “you challenged him. You challenged me from afar. And Ancients, it took every power in my being not to grab you in front of the court and make you mine.”
“Keane…” I whisper frantically, “touch me.”
He’s on me within a blink, his hands fiercely grabbing my face as he guides me back against the wooden bedframe.
His lips land on mine in hunger, hands fisting in my hair as he pushes his tongue into my mouth and claims me relentlessly.
His hips angle into my body and draw out a needy moan, everything about him giving me what he couldn’t tonight.
I bring my hands up to his hair and pull him down in pure desire, moaning again when he kisses me senseless.
That cocky smirk comes out to play when my hips rock against his length, Keane thrusting perfectly in answer as his lips steal another moan.
I bring my hands to his jaw and reach for that smirk, pulling back from our kiss as I trace my thumbs across the sensual red in a way I wish I could at dinner.
Keane looks at me in a brief moment of confusion and tries to kiss me again, but I hold him steady and just out of reach, unable to take my eyes off him.
“I stared at these lips all night…” I murmur.
I feel his hands unfist from my hair before they slowly start to skim down my shoulders. Keane takes his time running them down the sides of my breasts before he follows every curve of my body, finally grabbing hold of my hips as he pulls me closer.
“I used to ask myself if you knew what your words and touches did to me…” I tell him, pressing my thumbs to his lips.
“You do,” I nod, “you always have.”
Keane groans when I bring a thumb to my mouth and swirl my tongue around it. His eyes widen as he watches me trace that thumb down my chin, my head tilting up to his gaze as my fingers start to skim sensually down my neck.
“But I can watch you watch me for a lifetime, Keane…” I continue with a small smirk, slowly moving those fingers to the swells of my breasts, “because I know that my words and touches have the same effect on you.”
His lips come crashing down on my neck, hard.
I gasp and grab the bedframe behind me, my body arching into his as he rakes his hands up to the top of my dress and roughly pulls it down.
The fabric rips to my waist without care, my naked breasts bouncing on another gasp before his hands dart back up to squeeze them.
His tongue licks at the skin under my ear, his heated lips sucking and nipping as his fingers tug my nipples in a sharp tease.
“You’re trouble, Alexis,” Keane groans against my neck, “my kind of trouble.”
I moan and reach for his tunic, swiftly pulling it down his shoulders as his own hands release my breasts to shrug it off. I quickly grab his shirt and tug it aggressively from his pants, grinning when Keane grabs the back of it with one hand and pulls it over his head.
I see the fire in his eyes when he looks back down at me, everything about his gaze igniting my soul.
Keane doesn’t hesitate to come at me again, and presses his lips against my collarbone before darting them down my chest. He lets one hand snake around my waist while the other grabs my breast and pushes it up to his mouth.
His teeth bite down and make me throw my head back in a hiss, my hands searching for the bedframe behind me as I let it hold me up.
“Keane.”
I arch my chest for him, loving the way his tongue always soothes the sharp stings after his nips.
Keane brings his hand that’s around my waist to my hip, his fingers grabbing the edge of the slit before he rips the cut even higher.
He smirks against my nipple and fingers the lace panties against my skin, then tears them clean off my body.
“Keane!” I cry his name louder.